We all know that working from home saves time and money. You don’t have commute costs and you can save on your work wardrobe. However, home can be a very unproductive place to work. There are many distractions.With children and neighbors interrupting and the distraction of the television and household chores, it can be hard to get any real work done. Here are a few tips to help increase your productivity.

1. Consider childcare. Many parents choose to work from home so they can spend more time with their children. However, it can be very difficult to take care of children and work. Consider part time childcare. Something that worked well for me was to have a teenager come in for a few hours after school. This gave me a few hours to work without any distractions. It was a good time to make client phone calls, and I was only steps away if my children needed me.

2. Create a real office for yourself. Working at the kitchen table may seem economical, but it is not very ergonomic! Your office does not need to be a separate room, but a second hand desk, a high quality office chair, and good lighting go a long ways towards increasing productivity. Plus, you can let everyone know, that when you are at your desk you are working, and not to be bothered unless it is important.

3. Work With a Schedule. One of the appeals of working from home is that you can set your own hours. This is true, but make sure to have a schedule or a plan for your working hours. Have definite start and stop times, and schedule regular breaks for yourself. It may seem that you are more productive if you work 10 hours straight, but studies show that regular breaks increase productivity.

These are just some of the techniques that helped me to be more productive while working from home. What are your work from home productivity tips?

1 Comment

Your 3 tips for optimum productivity when working from home are relevant and necessary. You do enjoy the freedom of setting our own work schedule but if you have to contend with constant distractions you will end up working late into the night to meet your targets.

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